Understanding Pakistan: August 14 anniversary.
Unity with Taliban could save Pakistan as an Islamic State.
b y Kaukab Siddique, PhD
Everyone knows that Pakistan emerged in the name of Islam.
Allama Iqbal dreamed of a country for Muslims separate from
Hindu culture.
Mohomed Ali Jinnah was influenced by Iqbal and helped the
masses to focus on one objective: Pakistan. He defeated the
intrigues of both the British and the Hindus.
Even then it was not going to work as an Islamic country
owing to the organized efforts of the bureucracy and
landlords. Maulana Maudoodi
made sure that the legal basis and legitimacy of Pakistan
was rooted in Islam. He was repeatedly imprisoned and barely
survived a death sentence but remained steadfast with a hard
core organization.
Pakistan has been rocked thoughout its history by well
organized anti-Islamic groups which give surface level
allegiance to Islam and constantly try to fool the masses
with Islamic slogans.
Both the generals and the politicians supported America
against Pakistanis. The westernized elites successfully
divided the religious groups and Islamic scholars and pitted
them against each other.
When the army attacked East :Pakistan and later the Red
Mosque, the religious groups remained silent or
ineffective.
The upsurge of pro-Sharia groups in Swat, Waziristan and
the border areas was squashed by the army on orders from
Washington. Supporters of Sharia were dubbed as
terrorists.
It looked like Pakistan was to be a colony of the West. US
and NATO which occupied Afghanistan sent its heavy weaponry
and supplies through Pakistan.
Very few individuals, like Syed Munawar Hasan, spoke against
the military collusion with USA.
Pakistan survived as a miracle of Islam. Even ordinary
villagers would not accept blasphemy against the Prophet,
pbuh.
Now we have a second miracle: The victory of Islamic forces
in Afghanistan against a superpower and NATO.
After spending countless dollars in Afghanistan, the West
failed to create a replica of itself in Kabul with tentacles
all over the country..
The Islamic forces dominated the countryside and gradually
surrounded the major cities. It has now been a victory
parade, 75,000 poorly armed mujaheddine against 300,00
heavily armed mercenaries with an air force.
Biden is under severe criticism from his people and allies.
He is helples. According to official figures, the war was
costing the US $100 billion a year., with a total of $978
billion till now. UK spent $30 billion and Germany $10
billion. [BBC].
The Islamic groups in Pakistan have a chance of a lifetime
to link up with the Taliban. Attempts to continue
anti-Islamic alliances with USA and now
China would be catastrophic. USA has become an ally of India
and China
is Communist, anti-religion, committng genocide against
Uighar Muslims.
The internal Islamic power of Pakistan is the only authentic
source of Pakistani independence.
War News
Afghanistan
History in the making.
Record Breaking Victories somewhat like the era of Khalid
ibn al-Waleed, r.a. and Saad ibn abi Waqqas, r.a.
Latest: Ghani, the puppet President of Kabul, has fled to
Tajikistan with his Vice President.
The airport at Kabul to which the US embassy had fled is
taking fire. Americans are told to "shelter in place" and
cannot reach the airport. Fighting imminent as US troops fly in.
Political prisoners freed by Taliban.
On August 15, Taliban surrounded Kabul and small Taliban
groups entered Kabul with orders not to shoot.
Earlier on August 14, Jalalabad surrendered to the Taliban
without a fight.
The day before, Mazare Sharif surrendered without a fight.
Only a few days earlier Kunduz, Herat, Lashkargah and
Kandahar fell to the Taliban after heavy fighting
Dostum, the mass murderer of prisoners, has fled to
Uzbekistan.
Mullah Omar's son is said to be among the leaders in the
battlefield.
Life within the United States
New York Governor Evaded Impeachment and much else.
by Sis. Aisha
Jamaat al-Muslimeen
In a surprise move, Andrew Cuomo resigned from his position
as governor of New York State.
It is being reported that he would not have stood a chance
of being cleared during an impeachment trial. However, his
statements have changed a little. Now, former Governor Cuomo
is saying that his actions, even when he touched women, were
misconstrued or that he was not thinking clearly.
As I had reported in an earlier New Trend, former Governor
Cuomo could be getting a bitter dose of his own medicine. It
had been stated on the Community Cop Show that Cuomo
allegedly played a major role in manufacturing sexual
harassment stories about then Governor Patterson, who is of
African-descent, in an effort to become Governor rather than
wait in line. It was these stories and the media circus that
caused Governor Patterson to reconsider running for
election. This allowed Cuomo to run and get elected.
Some of Governor Cuomo's stances included legalizing Gay
marriage and ordering Rev. Al Sharpton to keep protesters
away from Staten Island's Verrazano Bridge in response to
Eric Garner's murder by police officers.
However, the New York State Assembly ruled Friday, August
13th, not to impeach Governor Cuomo citing his resignation
as a reason. It sounds like this was all a ruse just to get
him out. Both sides are claiming victory. Cuomo says he
would have made the assembly look like a "ship of fools" and
would have escaped impeachment. Of course, by not being
impeached Cuomo can also run for office, again.
There is so much internal and public criticism directed at
Assembly Speaker Heastie's decision to end the impeachment
probe. But, Speaker Heastie and Assemblyman Charles Lavine,
chairman of the Judiciary Committee, do not believe that
they have the power to impeach Cuomo now that he has left
office.
One of Cuomo's harassment victims is suing him civilly but,
after taxpayer money was used to investigate and find
credible evidence plus, these women risking their careers to
come forward about Cuomo's illicit behavior - he goes free.
Governor Cuomo will vacate his office on August 24th.
Assemblyman Tom Abinanti reminded people that Cuomo is still
in office and believes that his impeachment investigation
should continue. Some Assembly members were shocked at the
decision to drop the impeachment only hearing about it at
Assembly Speaker Heastie's press conference.
Attorney General Letitia James is till investigating Cuomo
over his $5 million dollar book deal and inaccurate data
about COVID-related nursing home deaths.
Many times, people in Governor Cuomo's position may be
targeted for attack because they are seen as becoming too
powerful. If these "leaders" start showing arrogance,
invincibility or even worse, appear ungrateful then some
former supporters may find ways to humble them. Perhaps,
Cuomo's getting re-elected four times may have led him to
feel he was the King of New York. Or, maybe it was his book:
"American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19
Pandemic," which discusses his great leadership.....in his
own words.
Although Cuomo has not been convicted of any crime and, now,
will not face impeachment, he is out as governor. For now,
some group's goal to get Cuomo out of office has been
accomplished. That's politics.
(Sources: Yahoo! News)
Guidance From Sis. Yasmin
Blessings of Mohurram.
Reminder:Fasting on 9th & 10th Muharram 1433 [Updated] |
TowardsHuda
'Muharram' is the first month
of the Hijri calendar and is one of the Four
sacred months concerning which...
ALLAH {Azza wa Jal } says in the 'Qur`an'...
'Surely the number of months with Allah is
Twelve months in Allah's ordinance since the day
when He created the heavens and the earth,
of these four being sacred,
that is the right reckoning,
therefore be not unjust to yourselves
regarding them'.
[Source~ 'Qur`an' ~Surat At-Taubah ~ 9~ Verse # 36]
'Muharram' is one of the four
sacred Months out of twelve.
The others being...
Dhu al- Qa`dah,
Dhu al-Hijjah,
and Rajab.
These four (4) months have been sacred
since the creation of universe.
ALLAH {Azza wa Jal} says in the 'Qur`an'...
'Muharram' is a sacred month because Allah made it sacred
along with three other months and told us
about it in the 'Qur`an'.
*PROPHET* ﷺ
informed us about the four (4) sacred months
in the following narration...
'The year is of Twelve months, out of which
Four {4} months are sacred.
Three {3} are in succession ...
Dhu al-Qa`dah.
Dhu al-Hijjah.
Muharram.
Rajab.
[Source~ ]Bukhari Vol~ 004- Book # 054, Hadith # 419]
'Ashura'~ [meaning tenth in Arabic]
The 10th of Muharram.
Fasting on the 10th Muharram {'Ashura'}
was obligatory on the Muslims before the fasts
of 'Ramadan' were made obligatory.
Narrated by the Mother of the Believers Aisha (r.a.)
(Allah be pleased with her)...
The people used to fast on 'Ashura'
{the tenth (10th)day of the month of 'Muharram'}
before the fasting of 'Ramadan' was made obligatory.
and on that day the 'Kaaba' used to be covered with a cover.
When Allah made the fasting of the month
of 'Ramadan' compulsory...
PROPHET {may peace be upon him} said...
'Whoever wishes to fast (on the day of 'Ashura')
may do so and whoever wishes to leave it can do so'.
Abu Qatada al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) reported
that...
The Messenger of Allah {peace be upon him}
was asked about fasting on the day of
'Ashura' {10th of Muharram}
whereupon he said:
It expiates the sins of the preceding year...{!}
{Source~ Muslim: Book 06: Hadith # 2603}
~'SALAAMS' TO ALL~
~Y a s m i n ~
"Never Despair Of The Mercy Of Allah"
**************************************
Say, 'Indeed, my Prayer, my Rites of Sacrifice,
my Living and my Dying are for ALLAH, Lord of the
Worlds'.
In Shaa Allah 'Aameen'.
{'Qur`an'~Surat Al-'An`am -# 6-162.}
Civilizational Conflict.
What happened to East Pakistan [Bangladesh]?
by Dr. Firoz Kamal.
[Excerpted] Defence: the highest priority
Those who are not equipped to fight against enemies, indeed
build grounds for surrender. It needs a strong
infrastructure of defence to stay safe and independent. It
needs a strong appetite for that. It must be taken as the
most important agenda for survival. Humans face most of the
catastrophic calamities not from wild animals, but from
humans. All the genocidal killings, economic plunders, and
enforced slavery are the works of humans. Hence, it is the
most fundamental duty of every man and woman to face those
beastly humans. In Islam, it is the best ibada. It is called
jihad. In the past, only the spirit of jihad could give
protection from imperialist predators. The European
colonialists could quickly take over the Asian, African and
American lands. It owes not only to the war machinery of
these colonialists but to the lack of defence of the native
people. So they paid the price for being weak and
defenceless. They faced brutal genocidal cleansing. Their
wealth was plundered and they were enslaved.
Those who are focused only on eating, drinking and physical
survival, may not have an appetite for civilizational
growth. They think only about the physical sustenance of
foods and drinks. For defence, it needs a big and strong
independent state. Living in caves, tents, and small states,
people can't develop a strong defence. In fact, the
independence of a state proportionately depends on its size.
The countries like Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and UAE may
have huge wealth but enjoy little independence. The rulers
of these states are dependent on others for their political
survival. They heavily pay for that. If the wealth
disappears, they will meet the fate of a failed state like
today's Lebanon.
In fact, those who divide into small states like Qatar,
Kuwait, Bahrain, and UAE expose their distaste for
independence and security. Those who have an iota of
interest in independence can't stay divided into such small
states. Such division opens the door to foreign occupation
and slavery. The size of Russia's economy is smaller than
that of South Korea. But its political might and
independence is equal to the USA. It mainly owes to its huge
geographical size and nuclear bombs. So, it is haram
(forbidden) in Islam to fragment a Muslim country. Prophet
(peace be upon him) of Islam encouraged only to expand it.
Hence, from day one of the Islamic State, the Muslims were
focused to enlarge its political map. It was indeed their
high political sagacity that they spread the Islamic state
into three continents.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) even advised his
companions to take over Constantinople -the capital of the
Eastern Roman Empire. This was in fact a civilizational
necessity. Because of the same sagacity, in 1947, the
Bengali Muslims joined Pakistan to constitute the largest
Muslim country in the contemporary world. But the
politicians with parochial intoxication lost such wisdom,
hence wrecked the great country. The weakness of 400 million
Arabs indeed owes to their disintegration into 22 states. As
a result, the defence capability of 22 Arab states stands
much inferior to that of a tiny Israel. Moreover, the
division brings the promised punishment from Allah Sub'hana
wa Ta'la -as warned in verse 105 of Sura Al-Imran.
Therefore, the divided Arabs proved to be the recipients of
the promised punishment. Israel has become the instrument of
such punishment.
For defence, it is crucial to have the most advanced
weaponry and the necessary military skills. Without such
weaponry, a state easily lose its independence. Such states
easily embrace the slavery of bigger states. The US military
bases in the Gulf States is an indicator of such slavery. An
independent state never allows another state to set a
military base on its soil. Awfully, this is the status of
most Arab states. Muslims started to lose their independence
when they ignored the defence and invested more money in
building palaces and amusement. When Bengal fell to the
British, Robert Clive -the military Head of British East
India Company was amazed seeing the huge treasure of gold
and silver of the defeated Nawab Shiraj-ud-Daulah. If such
huge wealth was spent to strengthen defence and empower
people, the fate would have been much different.
Imposed enemies' civilizational wars
The enemies' wars on Islam are not only occupational, in
many cases these are civilizational. The usual conventional
war takes place between two neighbouring countries, but a
civilizational war takes place between people of two
different beliefs and civilizations. It doesn't possess any
national boundaries. The countries over the globe get lumped
together according to faith and civilizational adherence.
The medieval crusades were typical multi-national European
civilizational war on Islam. In the modern age, the western
imperialists considered their war against Osmania Caliphate
as a civilizational war of the Christian World on Islam. It
got an explicit display in the Balkan War as well as in
World War 1. All major countries of the Christian faith like
the UK, the USA, France, Italy, Russia, Australia, Canada
and New Zealand joined the war against the Caliphate. Most
of these countries were far away from the Ottoman border,
but they joined the war to show their civilizational
oneness. Although they live in different countries and
continents, they view the Muslim World with one eye and one
political perspective. They also celebrated the dissolution
of the Caliphate -the political institution of Islam jointly.
In fact, wherever there is a major war against Muslims, it
turns into a civilizational war. Then, the polarisation in
politics doesn't remain regional or continental, it becomes
global. The players of world politics then divide into two
poles: the pole of Islam and the pole of non-Islam. Israel's
war of occupation and ethnic cleansing against the
Palestinians is an example of a classical civilizational War
on Islam. Almost all Christian countries from all over the
world support Israel. The Christians consider the Israelis
as their close civilizational siblings. Only Ireland is an
exception. In 1971, the war against Pakistan -the largest
Muslim country in the contemporary world was also a
civilizational war. Hence, the polarisation was global. As a
result, Hindu India was not alone in that war. The
non-Muslims like the Communists (Soviet Russia), Israel,
most of the Christian countries, and the non-Muslim media
supported India. Although Pakistan was on the US side of the
Cold War but suffered an embargo on importing arms from the
USA. On the other hand, almost all the Muslim countries
supported Pakistan.
It is tantamount to violation of the UN law to dismember a
country by military force. There wasn't any plebiscite in
favour of the dismemberment of Pakistan. The parliamentary
election of 1970 was based on framing a constitution and
provincial autonomy and not on the separation of East
Pakistan. But the non-Muslim countries became complicit in
the crime by either supporting India's anti-Muslim project
or remained deliberately silent. The war in Afghanistan and
Iraq has the same civilizational character. More than 45
Christian countries took part in President George W. Bush's
declared crusade on Islam. Except for Turkey -a member of
NATO, none of the Muslim countries was a part of the US-led
civilizational war. This is indeed the typical level of
polarisation of a civilizational war.
India
August 9. War between two Indian States.
Violent border clashes between India's north-eastern states
of Assam and Mizoram last week left several dead and many
more injured. Subir Bhaumik travelled to the region to find
out how a long-running border dispute was affecting the
lives of locals.
The highway connecting Mizoram, a hilly state of 1.3 million
people, to the rest of India is unusually quiet these days.
Wedged between Myanmar and Bangladesh, Mizoram is linked to
the Indian mainland through neighbouring Assam.
Tensions with Assam escalated on 26 July after clashes
erupted between police on either side of a contentious
border point. The two sides fired at each other, leaving
seven dead and 60 people injured. Six of those killed were
policemen from Assam.
Why peace is fragile between two India states
Mizoram officials alleged that 200 policemen from Assam, led
by a senior officer, overran one of their police outposts at
the border town of Vairengte. The evicted policemen, barely
20 of them, were joined by reinforcements, according to
locals - and they retaliated after taking position in the
hills overlooking the camp.
Local Mizos also burnt down buses that had carried the Assam
policemen to the border and clashed with villagers from
Assam backing up their force.
[BBC]
Iran needs an authentic Apology
New Trend's web site received 126901 hits in July, 2021.
Thank you Br. Rich.
The web site includes three translations of the Qur'an
[
quran.htm
]
and the translation of all of Sahih Bukhari.
[
bukhari.htm
]
Also a boycott list vs Israel
[
boycott.htm
]
, plus Br. Kaukab Siddique's
wild interview with Ken Meyercord related to fighting in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
[
civildiscordshow.htm
]
See pictures of the destruction of Palestinan villages by
the Jewish army.
[
pictures3.htm
]
Sajjad Niazi, Kaukab Siddique's beloved friend
of many years, passed away.
When my son was born in Canada, Sajjad Niazi came to stay
with me, not knowing that I had just had a son.. He and I
slept in a room with the baby boy so that my wife could rest
at night.
Over the decades Sajjad and I corresponded with each other
and talked to each other, he in Pakistan and I in USA.
When I visited Pakistan a few years back, he was extremely
helpful.
He knew more about Pakistani politics and Islamic analysis
than most people.
He became more and more religious and grew a long beard,
much longer than mine.
The ultimate in our relationship was when he visited his son
in America and brought me a complete set in hard cover, 16
volumes, of the Musnad of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.
Like most Pakistani immigrants, his children, who moved to
USA and Canada, became westernized and no longer cared for
his politics or his religion.
Allah is most merciful and I think will forgive Sajjad's
sins and shortcomings. Ameen.
Message from Imam Badi Ali.
North Carolina
As-slamu alaikum,
This Islamic New year
Break a bad habit
Learn a new skill
Maintain your salah and Pray on time
Do a good deed
Memorize and Read the Quran
Fast and eat healthy
Give charity and do Something Good for someone.This year...
Less talking - More Listening
Less Planning - More Doing
Less Complaining - More Encouraging
Less Worrying - More Hoping from Allah
Less Frowning - More Smiling More Understanding
Less Hate - More Love
Less ungratefulness - More Gratitude.
O Allah, bring this (year) upon us with security and faith,
safety and Islam, and Your pleasure, and protection from
shaytan.
Ameen
[Via Imam Badi]
American Muslims Are 2 Times More Likely To Have Attempted
Suicide Than Other Groups
August 10, 20219:01 AM ET
DALIA FAHEID
For an entire year that involved emergency room visits,
legal proceedings, involuntary unemployment and the death of
loved ones, Mehran Nazir struggled with a depressive
episode. He would find his mind flooded with
self-destructive thoughts. He'd faintly hope his plane from
Newark to San Francisco would crash or that he would doze
off at the wheel of his car and end up in a fatal accident.
The normally extroverted Nazir would lie paralyzed in bed
for hours doing nothing, not wanting to speak with family
and canceling plans with friends.
It came to a head when Nazir found himself on the brink of
suicide. In his darkest moment, he drafted a will and
decided where it would happen.
Eventually, Nazir found comfort in journaling. And when he
shared his writings online, he quickly found that other
Muslims shared his struggles.
"I realized that this is not something that is unique in my
history," Nazir told NPR. "This was not a random occurrence."
While Mehran Nazir still struggles with depressive episodes
now and then, he shares his musings online to help himself
and others.
Mehran Nazir
Nazir was right. U.S. Muslims are two times more likely to
have attempted suicide compared with other religious groups,
according to a study published last month in JAMA
Psychiatry. Nearly 8% of Muslims in the survey reported a
suicide attempt in their lifetime compared with 6% of
Catholics, 5% of Protestants and 3.6% of Jewish respondents.
"Anecdotally and in clinical settings, we're definitely
seeing an uptick in suicides and suicide attempts," Dr.
Rania Awaad told NPR. She's the director of the Muslim
Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab at Stanford
University and a researcher on the study.
At the heart of these numbers are several issues
Researchers attribute the high suicide attempt rate to two
factors:
religious discrimination and community stigma — both
of which, they say, prevent Muslim American communities from
seeking mental health services.
Six members of the Towhid family were found dead inside
their Allen, Texas home in early April. Police say the two
brothers made a pact to kill their family and then take
their own lives.
Bangladesh Association of North Texas
Earlier this year, a murder-suicide involving a Muslim
family in Allen, Texas, sent shock waves through the
community. Brothers Farhan Towhid, 19, and Tanvir Towhid,
21, both of whom reportedly battled depression, made a pact
to die by suicide and kill the rest of their family so they
wouldn't have to live with the grief. Since then, public
discussions on mental health, trainings on suicide response
and healing circles have taken on new urgency.
"We have a very long way to go," Awaad said. "There is just
the beginning of a discussion that is happening now."
There's still a community stigma surrounding mental health
Naureen Ahmed, now 39, remembers how her family would visit
her mother, Seema, at a psychiatric hospital. But the family
never openly discussed why she was there.
Some days, Seema would sing along to Bollywood music at home
wearing red lipstick. Other days, she'd walk around the
house brandishing knives — or jump out of the car on
the highway, threatening to kill herself.
Ahmed, a social butterfly at school, was hesitant to invite
friends over because she never knew which side of her mother
she would get that day.
It wasn't until she was 25 that Ahmed finally learned why
her mom acted that way: she had bipolar depression and
schizoaffective disorder, her grandparents told her.
"It was difficult to say it out loud, this secret that I had
held inside my entire life," Ahmed told NPR.
Seema Ahmed is pictured here with her daughter Naureen.
Naureen Ahmed
Of the many factors that prevent families or individuals
from seeking mental health treatment, stigma is "perhaps the
most significant," according to a 2013 study that looked at
the cultural backgrounds of Muslims.
"If you believe that your mental illnesses will bring shame
on you or your family, then you tend to stay silent about
it," said Dr. Farha Abbasi, founder of the Muslim Mental
Health Conference. Through the conference, hosted by
Michigan State University for 13 years, Abbasi hopes to
destigmatize mental illness within the Muslim community
using open dialogue.
After Ahmed's mother died in 2012, she created SEEMA to
support families like hers who are shamed by the stigma of
mental illness, are isolated by their communities or are
suffering alone.
SEEMA, launched in 2018, hosts support groups with licensed
therapists at community centers and mosques and awareness
workshops highlighting the importance of mental health and
how to care for someone struggling with a mental illness.
"We need to have these conversations to destigmatize and
bring awareness because people think that they're alone,"
Ahmed said.
Religious discrimination makes them more vulnerable
Abbasi, who has studied the impact of growing Islamophobia
on Muslims' mental health, says she was not surprised by the
results of the Stanford study.
"Right now, the exposure to toxicity is making us more
vulnerable," Abbasi told NPR.
U.S. Muslims were more likely to report suicide attempts
than those from Muslim-majority countries, according to the
Stanford study. As a religious minority in the U.S., Muslims
are highly vulnerable to religious discrimination, which is
associated with depression, anxiety and paranoia.
The Muslim Mental Health Conference has been hosted by
Michigan State University for 13 years, discussing topics
such as government surveillance, Islamophobia and the Muslim
Ban.
Farha Abbasi
According to 2020 polling from the Institute for Social
Policy and Understanding, 60% of Muslims reported personally
experiencing religious discrimination. And the FBI's latest
hate crime statistics in 2019 suggest that, of the reported
1,715 victims of anti-religious hate crimes, 13.2% were
victims of anti-Muslim bias.
"There's just trauma over trauma over trauma," Abbasi says.
"The impact of growing Islamophobia, the violence that is
being directed against Muslims, all that is having a huge
impact on mental health."
They sometimes find it hard to reconcile their feelings and
their faith
Last November, 39-year-old Chicago investor Jessica Ali
broke down after separating from her husband.
"I felt that I was unworthy and there was no reason for me
to live," she said. Ali, a mother of three, had attempted
suicide for a third time. The first two were in 2008 and
2018. "I started believing that I was crazy, that I must be
a bad Muslim."
That was until she joined a Muslim support group. It was
there that Ali, who was diagnosed with severe depression,
first came to terms with her mental illness.
Jessica Ali, 39, says she has attempted suicide multiple
times.
Jessica Ali
"It's very likely that when you're sitting at the masjid,
somebody in your praying row has felt this way," Ali told
NPR.
Now, Ali takes medication and visits a therapist.
But unlike Ali, some Muslims may not get the help and
support they need.
To help jump over these hurdles, Muslim mental health
professionals across the country are providing more
culturally appropriate and religiously sensitive resources
for Muslims.
Culturally appropriate resources can help
Dr. Sameera Ahmed, executive director of The Family & Youth
Institute, a Muslim nonprofit, developed a suicide
prevention toolkit in 2017 that helps Muslim American
families navigate suicide risks, intervention, assessment
and prevention.
"There may be mental health providers available, but if an
individual doesn't trust the system, they're not going to
use it," Ahmed told NPR. "We try to translate the research
into culturally and religiously tailored mental health
resources that are community informed and disseminated by
Muslim American mental health professionals."
The Family & Youth Institute hosts a suicide prevention and
intervention workshop.
Sameera Ahmed
In 2017, the Khalil Center, which offers Muslims faith-based
mental health services, launched a hotline that provides a
"safe and empathic space" for those in crisis situations.
"There's more awareness happening," Khalil Center
psychologist Dr. Fahad Khan told NPR. "We have seen a rise
in those who are seeking services."
Imams have an integral role in community mental health
because Muslim Americans may be more willing to seek help
from religious leaders. That's why Awaad started a campaign
to train 500 Muslim leaders on suicide response in their
communities by 2022.
"A number of imams came forward and said, 'We as the
religious and community leaders of the Muslim community
really need to step up to this discussion,' " Awaad said.
Dr. Heather Laird presents at the Defining Islamic
Psychology Conference.
Heather Laird
Dr. Heather Laird, founder of the Center for Muslim Mental
Health and Islamic Psychology, found that Muslims were more
likely to seek psychotherapy if it aligned with Islamic
values. So she ignited a movement toward Islamic psychology.
By Laird's definition, Islamic psychology is the treatment
of the mind and soul within an Islamic context.
As for Nazir, he uses a combination of therapy and
journaling to tend to his psychological wounds.
"This battle for mental health is not necessarily you solve
it, you cure it, you move on," Nazir said. "For me, it's an
ongoing journey."
